IMPHAL, Feb 13: With the imposition of Pedestrian Zone coming into effect from this morning, shopping in the commercial hub of Imphal, Thangal Bazar and Paona Bazar, became literally a walk in the park.
To get a personal experience, one of IFP reporters embarked on a bicycle trip along the pedestrian zone and nearby junctions, where the stop gates have been erected, capturing the scenes on his phone camera along the way.
The screeches and blare from horns produced by myriad vehicles were considerably reduced, though a few two-wheelers and four-wheelers were visible, both parked and moving. The prominent occupants of the road were shoppers on foot and bicycles moving freely, uninhibited by apprehension of being knocked from behind by wayward drivers. Unfortunately though, the reporter had to lift and carry the bicycle around the stop gate, climbing the pavement as the rule enforcers on duty refused to open the gate to pass his bicycle more than once.
It may be reminded that the state administration had prohibited the entry of almost all motor vehicles in Thangal Bazar and Paona Bazar on an experimental basis for a period of one month. Traffic police, state police and NCC cadets were employed to regulate the traffic and enforce the new rules.
DSP Traffic Victoria Yengkhom announced Friday the new traffic regulations which will be in force from 9am to 1pm and then from 3pm to 5pm to ease congestion in the market place.
Definitely, with the disappearance of encroachment by two-wheelers and four-wheelers along the edges of the stretch from Khuyathong to Moreh market, the public took advantage of the maximum road surface area available.
Most of the vehicles have been moved to the designated public parking lots in and around the central market place. The state administration had allotted them, also on a trial basis. The spaces are along Sagolband Road around Aryan Theatre, near BJP office, electricity office and the western road side of the Keshampat Junction ( Churanchanpur Parking), in and around Pologround Maning Parking, by-lane behind Kakhulong, Masjid Road stretch, stretch from Diamond crossing to Image Lab Shop, Governor Road, eastern portion of Naga Nallah, north of Babuthong, eastern side of Kalibari Temple, by-lane opposite of Gay Lord Hotel upto the entrance gate of Major Khul, around Lalambung Pukhri, front of Adharsh Clinic, PWD and LIC along the NH-39, eastern side of Nagamapal Road and the two connecting by-lanes road from Pologround towards Governor Road to Leima Shopping Complex.
On the other hand, the first day of implementation of the new traffic regulations, the stretch from Keishampat to Nityapat Chuthek witnessed long traffic snarl. At one point of time, it reportedly took more than 45 minutes to cover the whole distance.
By and large, no unruly incident or complaint was witnessed. The commuters complied readily with the traffic personnel and public seemed to be ready to give the new regulations and the state traffic police a chance to prove their efficacies.